Residents of the OR Tambo informal settlement near Elandsvlei took to the streets in a violent and angry protest on Tuesday morning, 25 May, demanding electricity and service delivery.
Large rocks and burning tyres were used to barricade Ventersdorp Road. It was clear that the situation was dangerous as community members took to social media just after 6am to warn motorists about the situation.
Read initial article here: Another early-morning protest erupts: Motorists warned
Some messages read ‘please be careful’, ‘vehicles are being stoned’ and ‘road is blocked with burning tyres’.
Once police arrived on scene they dispersed the crowd and calmed the situation.
Sergeant Carmen Hendricks, the Randfontein Police spokesperson said police are currently on scene but advised motorists to use alternative roads amidst the negotiations between the angry residents and police.
“We also advise protesters to engage with their local councillors and not resort to damaging property and infrastructural equipment. At this stage, police have managed to calm the situation. We also urge the public to alert the police if they see any suspicious gatherings,” Hendricks said.
Emmanuel Mkhize, a community representative and resident in the area said that for nearly 10 years empty promises about electricity were made but never kept.
“It’s like no one is taking us seriously anymore; they only brought a shipping container to the area, but nothing else has been done so far,” Mkhize complained.
He added that for many years politicians used these promises to lure residents to vote for them in the elections, but they only exploited their needs.
Another resident, Velile Montana added that even the ward councillor in their area knew about all the problems.
But according to ward councillor Cina Erasmus, those in government have the responsibility to stick to their promises and provide what they said they would.
“The problem starts when people make promises they cannot keep,” Erasmus told the Herald.
Residents said many officials were exploiting their predicament regarding service delivery, and those who made promises were not there to answer – some don’t even bother to answer their cellphones.
